IIHS Safety Study
Shows Two-Thirds of
the Public Support
Red Light Cameras

The Insurance Institute for Highway
Safety (IIHS) released a study revealing new data that
two-thirds of the public support red light cameras.
The Institute’s study consisted of surveys of drivers in
14 major cities across the United States. These cities
include: Washington, D.C.; Baltimore; Chicago; and
San Diego. All 14 cities have implemented long-standing
camera programs. Only one city voted in favor of removing red
light camera: in a November 2010 referendum, the citizens of Houston voted
to shut off the city’s red light cameras. Red light cameras have reduced fatal
red light running crashes by an average of 24 percent in the
14 cities surveyed, IIHS noted.

More than 3,000 people were interviewed by telephone in the 14 cities
studied. An additional 300 people were interviewed in Houston because of
that city’s recent vote. IIHS found that the majority of drivers throughout the
group favored the implementation of red light cameras and thought that running
a red light is, “unacceptable and a serious threat to personal safety.”

Most drivers believe that these devices have made cities safer. However, IIHS
notes there is a vocal group who believe that red light cameras are a violation of
privacy. These opponents seem to be a vocal minority in most cities throughout
the U.S., as only one quarter of the people interviewed opposed the installation
of the red light cameras. The overwhelming opinion of these people was that red
light cameras were being used as a way for the government to make profit. The
questions were opened-ended so citizens could give any answer.

On the other hand, the study found less support for the use of cameras to
crack down on right-on-red violations. Nearly a fifth of the people surveyed
said they support red light cameras but do not support right-on-red cameras.

According to a past IIHS study, red light cameras could potentially save more
lives. Researchers had looked at cities with a population over 200,000 and
compared those cities with red light cameras to cities without. Over 150
lives were saved between 2004 and 2008 in those cities that had red light
cameras implemented. If all 14 cities surveyed had red light cameras implemented
in that time span, a total of 815 deaths could have been prevented.